The president-elect maintained a close relationship with Márquez at the Blaugrana club and offered flattering concepts about the future that the now American striker had in his early days.
Joan Laporta will live the second stage as president of Barcelona, the first of them, between 2003 and 2010, was marked by the presence of Mexican players in the Blaugrana team, in which it was noted Rafael Marquez, even the manager came to declare his desire to find a “Hugo Sánchez” for Barcelona before the promising career of Young people and Jonathan dos Santos.
In 2007, Barcelona went on a tour of Asia in which Giovani dos Santos It was one of the novelties since he became U-17 world champion and was one of the most important prospects for La Masía, so journalist Diego Laje asked the manager about the future of the oldest of the brothers, “Do you think that who could have a better name than Hugo Sánchez in Spain and in the world? ”.
“I hope I have so many names or more than Hugo Sanchez because he is a Mexican reference player, for the moment we have the satisfaction of having Rafa Marquez as a reference Mexican player who plays for Barça and I think Giovani is called to be one of the great Mexican players, which are a reference, that in this case we also have the fortune to play for Barça. You have to watch him carefully because he is still very young, but playing with the players he plays with, I think his quality will improve, which is very great ”.
Laporta began his first term as president of Barcelona in 2003 and one of his first signatures was that of Rafael Marquez, who in the same year left Monaco to defend the Catalan team after a promise made by Joan to the representative Jorge Mendes.
“Two weeks pass and the secretary at the reception tells me that she is bringing a boy and says that she has a date with you, however, I did not meet anyone, but she told me that it was someone who came from Monaco and then I started to link history. (Jorge) came in and said, “President, hereI’m going to the letter from Monaco that I’m selling to Rafa Márquez for five million euros“And the negotiations with the others stopped and I signed Márquez.”
Four years after the arrival of Márquez, who won titles with the Catalans, appeared Giovani dos Santos in the stellar pattern of BarcelonaHowever, he only belonged for one season, as he was sold to Tottenham, but his brother Jonathan remained at La Masía and made his debut in 2009.
Laporta’s first term in the Catalan presidency ended in June 2010 and a month later Márquez left the club to sign with the New York Red Bulls from MLS, while the youngest of Dos Santos remained in the team until 2014, the year he signed with Villarreal.
The relationship between Laporta and Márquez continuesEven the “Kaiser” supported the Spaniard during his candidacy for the presidency of Barcelona, since Joan won last Sunday.